If you're primarily concerned with getting a bargain, wait until the all-new model is about to hit, then look for a low-mileage 2013 or 2014 model. Those cars tend to be worth a little less when a newer, fresher version is introduced.

A few weeks ago after enjoying some drinks at the bar, a friend asked me, "Which car companies are just totally getting it right these days?" At the time, I had trouble narrowing it down. But after returning from the action-packed press days of the New York Auto Show, I have my answer.

To celebrate the official start of the 2013 car-shopping season and the release of the 2013 models, we posed, to a baker's dozen of top car writers, the question of what new car they would purchase for under $100,000.